Lighting fixtures commonly incorporate a lumenaire for distributing light from the bulb or bulbs housed within the fixture. The luminaires for industrial fixtures are typically configured for distributing light from a single high-intensity discharge light bulb positioned generally centrally within the fixture. For example, the prismatic light-distributing surfaces of these luminaires may be structured and oriented to diffract and diffuse light emanating from a centrally-positioned point source of light into an even lighting pattern.
High-efficiency fluorescent bulbs have been developed, which consume considerably less energy than high-intensity discharge light bulbs generating equivalent light output. Typically, however, two or more such fluorescent bulbs are used in combination in a lumen package to produce the desired light output. The individual bulbs within a lumen package are typically spaced a distance from one another such that some or all of the bulbs are located a distance away from the center of the fixture. As a result, luminaires that are configured for distribution of light from a central point source are often ineffective and inefficient for diffusion and distribution of light from a lumen package of high-efficiency fluorescent bulbs, often generating significant glare and/or an uneven distribution of light.
Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for a diffractor-diffuser system optimized for use in connection with a high-efficiency fluorescent lumen package within a light fixture. It is to the provision of a system meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.